This blog is an ongoing record of traveling world with bamboo bike and starting / growing up social enterprise,"Bamboo Samurai". Bamboo Samurai will make bamboo bike and attractive bamboo products by using only Japanese bamboo. I will contribute to develop craftsmanship, coexist with bamboo forests in Japan and to build ecological world all over the world. I am loving Nature, biking, and bamboo. Please keep supporting Bamboo Samurai! Bamboo Samurai Founder,Takashi

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November 17, 2010

I woke up 3:30a.m, it did not rain yet, I decided early start. Yesterday I could stay warm because I slept in the restroom... smell was not bad...

I cooked breakfast, ate 3 oatmeal, 3 breads with peanuts butter with coffee. We started biking at 5:15a.m. It did not rain yet. Rain began to start 6:30a.m. and getting harder gradually, Such this hard rain was the first time in this trip. I took more attention to back than usual, I often looked around, sometimes stopped outside of the road. On Hwy27, though I did not know why I felt danger. I felt as if someone talked to me, " Don't bike, walk out of the road with bamboo bike."
I see....in the dark, in rain, there were lots of cars, trucks, big trucks on the road, and shoulder was narrow, almost none. I replied to myself, "Ya, I knew, I must protect bamboo bike2, and the road was not for only bike people and bike, the road was for all drivers." I walked along the Hwy27, outside of the road.

In the rain, during today's biking, I had been feeling thank you for Deno all the way, because today I wore rain jacket which Deno chose for me in St.Louis. It is not hot, not wet, comfortable. Tyo good! Thank you Deno! This jacket was waterproof, and insulated. The parts of insulation could be removed. Todya I removed insulation parts. Great!

On the way, we dropped by church and took rest. We arrived at Berea at 11:30a.m. and dropped by Berea coffee and Tea, ate lunch, a panini and water. If front of the shop I talked to Mr and Mrs,Blount about our trip, I was happy that she got interested in our trip. She showed me about the banana fiber in Berea as a sustainable resourse as same as bamboo, I heard for the first time. Tyo good! And she donated us some money. Thank you so much, Mr. Blount and Mrs.Blount.
I met Cheryl who hosted me tonight, worked at Save the Children in Berea. She took me and bamboo bike2 to her house, and I took warm shower, after that we went back to her office in Berea.

Miracle occurred in the shop. I met Nick, the bike shop owener in Berea, where I wanted to go this afternoon to repair my broken right-front carrier. He was so kind that he repaired broken carrier.
I was tyo lucky! Thank you so much, Nick!
His shop, "Appalachian bicycle collective" (on facebook), http://appalachianbikes.com/

After that I met Kelly, who was a husband of Cheryl, teacher of Berea college. He showed me some places in Berea college, and in town. I met some people and enjoyed talking. I ate dinner in Kelly and Cheryl's house, ate pasta, salada, pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie was tyo nice! I drank Sierra Nevada, and Daniel Adams.

"Beer blog"
Sierra Nevada;
I drank this a few times in this trip. I like Sierra Nevada than Daniel Adams, because tasts like darker, and aftertaste is good.

Daniel Adams;
I drank this three times in this trip. sharp, clear. Bitter aftertaste, and a little bit bitter than Coors.

Kelly took me and bamboo bike2 to the Berea college and we watched college basketball game. I like basketball. I enjoyed watching basketball. Berea college won the game. In half time I and bamboo bike2 were introduced to spectators as guests at the center court. We were happy and bamboo bike2 seemed to turn red a little bit. We stayed at Kelly and Cheryl's house tonight, could stay warm. Thank you so much!
Outside wind was strong, I saw some geese flying over the lake in front of house. I am feeling "happiness" I can not explain well. I was helped and supported by lots of people. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. The Appalachians appeared in front of us. Tomorrow we will enter the Appalachians.